Ball and socket clamp head putter



y 17, 1955 R. H. H. HUGMAN 2,708,579

BALL AND SOCKET CLAMP HEAD PUTTER Filed Oct. 1. 1952 INVENTOR 71 0551? 7- h. HuaMA/v ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofifice 2,708,579 Patented May 17, 1955 BALL AND SOCKET CLAMP HEAD PU'ITER Robert H. H. Hugman, San Antonio, Tex.

Application October 1, 1952, Serial No. 312,547

3 Claims. (Cl. 273-79) This invention relates to a ball and socket clamp head putter, and has for one of its objects the production of a putter of a simple and efficient construction, wherein the golf-ball contacting portion or head thereof is connected to the shaft by means of a universal joint to facilitate the adjustment of the head at a desired angle, and wherein the ball portion of the universal joint extends below the bottom face of the head to hold the head above the surface of a putting green when the putter is swung for contact with a golf-ball.

A further object of this invention is the production of a putter of the block-head type consisting of two sections, which when assembled and connected to the shaft both sections will balance within themselves upon a ball carrying end of the shaft.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear throughout the following specification and claims.

i In the drawing:

Figure l is an end elevational view of the putter;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the ball carrying end of the putter shaft;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the top section or member of the putter head;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the bottom section or member;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the putter head illustrating the anchoring or locking means, certain parts being shown in elevation;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view through the putter head, showing the weights and sockets thereof;

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of the putter head and a portion of the shaft illustrating the manner of adjusting the head at a desired angle relative to the shaft;

Figure 8 is a plan view on a reduced scale, of the head supporting plate shown in Figure 7.

This application is a continuation in part of my abandoned application, filed March 16, 1950, Serial Number 149,974, relating to a Golf Putter of the Block-Head Type.

By referring to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that 10 designates the shaft, to which the handle grip 11 is secured. A ball-like member 12 is carried by the lower end of the shaft 10 and is fixed thereto in any conventional manner.

An elongated putter head 13, of the block-head type, is fitted upon the ball-like member 12, and comprises a pair of sections 14 and 15, as shown in Figure 1. The

upper section 14, is provided with an aperture 16, which is surrounded by a concave socket 17. The upper end of the ball-like member 12 extends through the aperture 16 and the upper portion of the ball-like member adjacent the upper end thereof fits snugly within the concave socket 17, as shown in Figure 5. The upper section 14 also is provided with four weight-receiving sockets 18 formed at proper locations in the under face of the section 14, two each at opposite sides of the aperture 16,

adjacent the respective ends of the section 14, as shown in Figure 3. Expanding lead Weights 19 and 20 are mounted in the sockets 18. These weights may be weights forced into the sockets 18 under pressure, the side walls of the sockets 18 having grooves 21 and 22, respectively, formed therein into which portions of the weights are forced to lock the weights therein and to hold the same against vibration. Aligned internally threaded sockets 23 are formed in the under face of the top section 13, and an inset channel 24 encircles each socket 23 upon the under face of the upper section 14.

The bottom section 15 is provided with a pair of weightreceiving sockets 25 in which are fitted or forced under pressure, weights such as the weight 26 shown in Figure 6, in a similar manner to the weights 21 and 22. The sockets 25 and weights 26 carried therein, are arranged in offset relation to the weights 19, as shown in Figure 5. The bottom section 15 is provided with an aperture 27 through which the lower end of the ball-like member 12 extends, as shown. The aperture 27 is provided with a concave wall 28, defining a concave shaft for snugly receiving the lower end of the member 12. Headed securing screws 29 pass through apertures 30 formed in the section 15, and these screws 29 are threaded into the sockets 23 to firmly lock the sections 14 and 15 together. Rims 31, arranged in spaced relation, encircle the apertures 30 upon the upper face of the bottom section 15 and fit in the channels 24 of the upper section to hold the sections against lateral displacement, while the screws 29 are being secured in place, and to brace the sections with respect to each other against lateral strain.

It will be seen by considering Figures 1, 3 and 4, that there are thin wall areas 32 and 33 adjacent the concave sockets 17 and 18 of the sections 14 and 15 along the opposite sides of these sections 14 and 15, which areas are capable of yielding to the surface of the ball-like member 12, as the two screws 29 are tightened. This provides absolute constant contact at the sweet spots or at the golf-ball contacting area of the putter head.

The front and rear faces 34 and 35 are substantially at right-angles to the bottom and top faces of the putter head 13, and these faces are highly polished so as to prevent the golf ball when struck from veering otf slightly as might be the case with a roughened putter striking face, even though the putting stroke may be very gentle. The four weights in the upper section 14 are designed to make the total club head heavy or light as a personal choice, but these four weights, as well as the two weights 26 in the bottom section 15, are counter-balancing weights. The putter head 13 is balanced on the ball-like member 12, which ball-like member projects slightly below the bottom face of the member 15 thereby defining a partly spherical protuberance to prevent the head 13 from striking the putting green. This will prevent dirt or other matter from being picked up by the ball striking face of the putter head which might cause an undesirable deflection of the ball when struck by the putter head 13.

It will be noted that the bottom ends 36 and 37 are rounded upwardly and outwardly, this being made possible by the length of the heel end of the head. The sockets 17 and 18 are preferably ground together with the ball-like member 12 by using valve grinding compound to obtain a maximum contact to assure the sweet feeling caused by a solid impact with the golf-ball which is necessary for perfection when putting a ball on the putting green.

As is shown in Figures 7 and 8, an apertured plate 38 may be used to facilitate the setting of the head 13 at a proper angle relative to the shaft 10. The sections 14 and 15 are adjusted so as to fit snugly upon the ball-like member 12, while at the same time permitting movement by force upon the ball-like member 12. The depending portion of the ball-like member fits in the aperture 39 and the bottom face of the section 15 rests upon the plate 38, as shown in Figure 7, the plate resting upon the ground. The shaft 10 may be swung to the desired angle while holding the head 13 firmly in contact with the plate. When the head 13 has been set to a properly selected position for the individual golfer, the screws 29 are tightened to lock the head 13 in this properly selected position.

It should be noted that the lower face of the putter head or blade 13 is vertically spaced above the lower extremity of the ball-like member 12 and the bottom face of the head 13 by being adjusted to extend parallel to and above the surface of the putting green, the head 13 will at all times be held out of contact with the turf or surface of the putting green. The green will be struck only by the rounded depending portion of the ball-like member, and the head 13 itself will not contact the green. The golfer therefore will be assured that the golf-ball at the point of impact with the head 13 will be struck only by the highly polished face of the head and that the impact will be solid.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A putter comprising a putter head having a substantially flat front face, a substantially flat top face, a sub' stantially flat bottom face and ends, a ball in said head, a convex protuberance, comprising a part of said ball depending from said bottom face, said convex protuberance being inset from said front face and said ends in a manner to space the bottom face of said head and the front face of the head and ends out of contact with the Surface of at putting green as said putter head is swung for contact with a golf-ball.

2. A putter as defined in claim 1, wherein a shaft is fixed to said ball in said head, said ball-like member defining a universal connection between the head and shaft.

3. A putter as defined in claim 2, wherein said ball is adjustably clamped between two sections of said head thereby defining a universal connection between said head and shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 102,703 Pease May 3, 1870 590,636 Walter Sept. 28, 1897 1,352,020 Olson Sept. 7, 1920 1,574,213 Tyler Feb. 23, 1926 1,643,250 Longsworth Sept. 20, 1927 1,913,821 Stumpf June 13, 1933 2,300,043 Carney Oct. 27, 1942 2,638,298 Peterson May 12, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 11,463 Great Britain 1902 

